The Black Sisters
by poetanddidntknowit34
Summary: Bellatrix, Andromeda, and Narcissa Black are the closest of friends. But this new year at Hogwarts is going to bring challenges even they weren't expecting. Will the sisters stick together? And how will this effect their adult lives?
1. Chapter 1

Bellatrix woke up first that morning and she slipped quietly into the backyard of her childhood home, her black curly hair and midnight blue night-dress blew slightly in the morning wind and her lurid-pale skin prickled in the morning mist. Sneaking along the fence, she stopped in front of a pile of leaves. She then reached down and pulled a small cage out of the leaves. A little black bunny cooed at the sight of her master. Bella smiled and opened the cage, pulling the small bunny into her arms. At first glance, you wouldn't think Bellatrix was the sort of girl to take a liking to small animals. That's because she wasn't. She hated anything cute and soft. But, the bunny was black, had dark eyes just like hers, and it bit her when she first captured it this summer, so Bella named it Jinx and hid it in the backyard. Her mom, Druella, thought rabbits were a bother, so Bella had to hide Jinx well as she snuck her off to Hogwarts today on the train. Bellatrix gave Jinx a carrot and petted her as she nibbled. Then, she kissed the bunny's ears, slid her back into her cage, wrapped the cage in her shawl, and snuck back into the house, hoping not to wake her sisters.

Andromeda woke up second. She had been dreaming about being head-girl in three years when she graduated and was awoken by the sound of someone tripping on the loose floorboard outside her door, a cage clattering, then a muffled round of profanity. "Well," Dromeda sighed, "Bellatrix is up." Andromeda sat up, stretched, and scratched her head. Then she went over to Kitty's bed and petted her Persian cat. When Kitty pawed her hand away, wishing for some more sleep, Andromeda went over to the mirror behind her behind door to examine herself. Her brown hair stuck up in odd directions and her pale skin was tinged pink at the cheeks. Her light brown eyes sparkled softly and her pink night-dress was wrinkled in several places. She smiled as she remembered last night, then she spun around and panicked. Rabastan Lestrange was still lying in her bed.

She sweared under her breathe and threw a sundress at him. He woke up with a snort and asked rather loudly, "Whaappend?"

Andromeda shushed him and said, "You got to get out of here. My sisters will be in here any minute and if they see you, I'm dead." She ran back to her closet and started pulling out her outfit for the day as Rabastan scrambled to get his affects together and snuck out the window. As soon as he was out of sight, Dromeda could breathe easy again. She took her clothes and went down the hall to her bathroom. The shower was running in Bella's bathroom, but not in Narcissa's, so Dromeda decided to see if her baby sister was up.

Narcissa had been in a deep sleep when Andromeda knocked on the door, reminding her of the time and that the train for school left today. So Narcissa sat up, picked up the jewel-encrusted hairbrush that Lucius Malfoy had given her last year, and ran it through her hair. That Lucius was a nice boy. He knew how much she loved hairbrushes, so he bought her the diamond, ruby, and emerald encrusted brush for Christmas last year. Too bad he didn't have a chance. Narcissa had no interest in getting a boyfriend, so she just let Lucius think she was slightly interested. She finished brushing her hair, so she stood and looked in her mirror. Her white blond hair cascaded down to her chest and ice pale skin radiated friendliness while her steely blue eyes portrayed a warning to all who dared cross her. Narcissa smiled at her reflection, tapped on the cage of her small, black and white owl, Cherish, smoothed her white night-dress, and went to take her shower.


	2. Chapter 2

The Black sisters sat at the breakfast table quietly eating their breakfast. Mommy Druella thought children should be seen and not heard at meals, so Bella, Dromeda, and Cissy ate their cereal in silence. Bellatrix was dressed in black leggings, black heels, a black v-neck, black lace gloves and was going to be a 6th year; Andromeda was dressed in blue skinny jeans, a pink tube top, flip-flops and was going to be a 5th year; and Cissy was wearing a green and gold trench coat over a white tired tank-top, blue jeans, green cork-wedges and was going to be a 4th year. It was quiet enough to hear a pin drop before Druella caught sight of the clock and screamed. They were going to be late unless they left right away. So, leaving the breakfast dishes on the table, the girls lugged their trunks and pets down the stairs and got ready to Side-Along-Apparate to the station. Cissy ran her hands over her hair one more time before grabbing Bella's arm just in time to disapparate.

Platform 9 and ¾ was alive with people when the Black women landed. Bustling them along, Druella weaved her children through the crowd and stopped in front of an entrance to the crimson train. "Alright, now remember, write to me, remember the social class of yourself and those around you, and be good." She kissed the top of each of their heads and stepped back as the Lestrange brothers and Lucius each grabbed one of the girls' trunks.

Once the sisters were alone and settled in their own compartment and the train was chugging through the rolling hills, they all settled into their different activities; Bellatrix reading a book about the Dark Arts, Narcissa brushing her hair with her beloved hairbrush, and Andromeda flipping through her charms book. They had been traveling for an hour when there was a sharp rap on the compartment door and Lucius Malfoy entered smoothly. His short blond hair and steel-grey eyes shimmered in the light and his pointed features cut through the air of importance around him. He cleared his throat and asked, "Um… Narcissa, can I speak with you for a minute?"

The girls looked at each other and Bella stiffly nodded to her youngest sister, and Cissy stood and followed Lucius out. She followed him down the hallway and they stopped at the end of the compartment. But before Lucius could say what he wanted to, there was a commotion from the end of the hallway. A short, red-headed first year girl was being picked on by a group of second year boys while another short first year boy with greasy black hair and a big nose was trying to tell them off. Without so much as a glance back to Lucius, Cissy strode down the hall and stood directly in front of the girl. She loomed over the second years and the boys scrambled quickly. Cissy then took the red-head by the hand and led her back to her sister's compartment. "Come on and sit down." Cissy said as she ushered the green-eyed 11 year-old into the room. "What's your name?" Narcissa asked as soon as the girl was seated next to Andromeda.

"Lilly. Lilly Evans." The girl squeaked out. She was staring nervously at Bellatrix, who was giving her a death-glare.

Narcissa nudged her sister to make her look friendlier, but, by nature, Bella just simply looked unpleasant all the time. "I'm Narcissa, this is Bellatrix, and next to you is Andromeda. We're the Black sisters."

Andromeda smiled, then went back to her charms textbook and Bellatrix glared for a few more seconds before returning to her book as well. Narcissa picked up her hairbrush again and Lilly gasped, "What a _beautiful_ hairbrush you have there!" She was beyond excited at the sight of the jewels.

"Thank you. Lucius Malfoy gave it to me as a present last Christmas." Cissy held the brush up so it sparkled in the light, "It's my prized possession."

"It's so pretty." Lilly's emerald eyes got bigger as the jewels sparkled.

"Come over here and I'll braid your hair if you like." Narcissa beckoned her over and Lilly sat down in front of her. Cissy began to comb through the flaming red hair and by the time she had it all brushed through and French braided with black ribbons, it was time to get changed into their robes.

"Wow. My hair looks so pretty!" Lilly squealed into the mirror, "Why the black ribbons, though?"

"It's to make you an honorary Black sister. See?" Narcissa lifted her hair to reveal a tiny braid with a black ribbon embedded, "We all have one." Lilly beamed and began to change into her robes.

When the train pulled into the station, Lilly and the sisters had to go their separate ways, but Cissy promised they would meet up before bed, and told her not to be worried about the sorting.


	3. Chapter 3

The Great Hall was warm and filled with conversation when the Black sisters took their seats at the Slytherin table. The enchanted ceiling was reflecting the darker skies outside. "I hope it rains tonight." Narcissa mentioned to her sisters as she looked up to the sky in anticipation. "I love the rain…" Bellatrix rolled her eyes then shushed her sister as the Sorting Hat was placed on its stool and began to sing.

It told the same story about the four founding fathers and the first years just sat wide-eyed and ogled at the singing hat. When the hat had finished, the sorting began. After a few "A"s, the sisters' cousin, Sirius Black, took to the stool. While the hat was thinking, Lilly shot Narcissa a nervous look and Cissy gave her a stiff head nod and a small smile. Finally, the hat yelled out, "GRYFFINDOR!" and shouts of protest rang out from the Blacks at the Slytherin table. Sirius took a seat next to a fifth year that shook his hand and smiled, and the Black sisters stood from the table and fled the Great Hall towards the owelry.

Ripping a piece of parchment off the top of the stack near the door and a quill out of the pile next to it, Bella yelled, "He's a disgrace. No cousin of mine, that's for sure. Mingling with blood traitors and mudbloods…" She spit her words out as she scribbled onto the parchment, her sisters seething and pacing the floor.

"Why?" Andromeda asked, "Why would the hat put all of the Blacks in Slytherin, except one?"

"Because Sirius is no Black." Bellatrix signed their names and held up the letter.

"Sirius may be a weird kid, but this is just… just… well, downright insulting to the family name." Cissy scowled and reached for the parchment. She scanned it, then read it out loud, "Dearest mum, your nephew, Sirius has been sorted into Gryffindor. An absolute outrage! I suggest, we never acknowledge him as a Black again! It may seem rash, but if he wants to mingle with mudbloods and blood traitors, so be it. Love, your daughters."

"Sounds good." Andromeda said, "Now send it and let's get back to dinner. I'm starving!"

So the letter was sent with a Tawny owl and the three girls headed back down towards the Great Hall. Bellatrix decided to break off and go back to the common room, claiming she wasn't hungry, and as soon as Cissy and Dromeda entered the Hall, Lilly bounded up to Cissy with some news. So Andromeda went to eat while Narcissa and Lilly went out and sat on the Grand Staircase to talk.

"I got sorted into Gryffindor!" Lilly said excitedly. "But I guess you're mad because you stormed out when your cousin made it in."

"Well, that's because he's my cousin. I was mad that he didn't join our family in our house. But, as long as you can distinguish between good people and bad people in your house, then you'll be ok." Cissy smiled and patted Lilly on the back.

"Good and bad people?" Lilly seemed confused.

"Yes," Narcissa sighed. She was extremely hungry. "Pure-bloods are good, mudbloods are not. And neither are pure-blood traitors." She yawned and stretched as the new information sunk into Lilly's head. "Well, why don't you run off to your common room and get some sleep. I need food." Cissy stood and walked back to the Great Hall. As long as her sisters didn't find out that she was friends with a Gryffindor, and as long as Lilly remembered her advice, all would be well.

Narcissa walked into the Great Hall to find Andromeda stuffing her face and giggling as Rabastan Lestrange told jokes. Cissy sat down and greatly started tearing into the turkey, rolls, pumpkin juice, and pudding. The warm atmosphere and the quiet muttering of kids made Narcissa feel more at home than she had felt all summer.


	4. Chapter 4

Bellatrix said good-bye to her sisters and headed back to the Slytherin common room. Her feet hurt and she just wanted some solitude. She flopped down on the lounge couch in the empty room and pulled out her copy of "The Dark Arts: A Forbidden Magic" that she had started on the train. She smiled as she started the chapter "Why the Unforgivable Curses are Unforgivable". She was so consumed in reading that she didn't notice a handsome seventh year boy come up the dorm stairs and sit in the chair across from her.

In fact, Bellatrix was so concentrated on her book, that she jumped when he said, "Hello." His voice was smooth and even.

"Hello there," Bella said as evenly as she could. She didn't like showing it when people have startled her.

"I'm sorry I startled you, but I was intrigued by that book." He gestured towards the book in Bella's hands.

"You didn't startle me," Bella said, regaining her composure, "I just didn't know you were sitting there. I'm Bellatrix Black." She said, captivated by the boy. His calm demeanor and aura of power and knowledge drew her in.

"Tom Riddle," He smiled slightly, "I see you have an interest in the Dark Arts."

She smiled at her book before shutting it and looking back up at Tom, "Yes. To my mother's distaste." Bella scrunched her face up and imitated her mother in a high-pitched voice, "Young women should be more concerned with finding a man and letting _them_ exterminate the mudbloods, not with doing it themselves." She returned to normal, "Whatever."

Tom moved to sit next to Bella on the couch, "I think we could be good friends." He was leaning closer, but then abruptly stood up and said, "I have to go, tell Rodolphus I said hello."

Bella looked puzzled as he left, but just then, Rudolphus Lestrange walked into the common room. "Hey! I was just looking for you." He sat down next to her and kissed her. Rodolphus and she started dating at the beginning of the summer, and so far, it was going well.

"Hi." Bella responded. "Do you know Tom Riddle, by chance?"

"Yeah. He's a… um… a 'friend' of mine." He shifted uncomfortably, and then changed the subject, "I didn't see you come back for dinner."

"I came back here to read. Do you have any food?" She was suddenly very hungry.

Rodolphus chuckled and said, "No, I don't, but I can go find you some leftovers in the kitchen."

"Yes!" Bella laughed and kissed Rodolphus good-bye as he left to go scrounge her up some food.


	5. Chapter 5

Andromeda finished dinner and left the Great Hall with Narcissa, Rabastan, and Rodolphus. Rodolphus said he was going back to the common room and Cissy said she was 'going to wander'; Andromeda had no idea what that meant, but she was too distracted by Rabastan leading her off to who-knows-where in the castle. He led her down a few different hallways, abandon passageways, and through empty classrooms until they were up on top of the Astronomy tower. Andromeda giggled and said, "Rabastan, what if we get caught?"

"Get caught doing what? We're just talking." He smiled and kissed her neck. She giggled again, but pushed Rabastan away when a dark figure stepped out of the shadows.

A fifth year Hufflepuff had already been on the tower when Dromeda and Rabastan entered and he now showed himself. "Who are you?" Andromeda asked.

"Ted Tonks. And who are you?" The boy was calmer than most Hufflepuffs are when they're confronted by a Slytherin. He leaned coolly against the door of the tower and raised an eyebrow at the two.

"I'm Rabastan and this is Andromeda." Rabastan stepped toward Ted, almost as if to grab him, "Why don't you just run along?"

"Because I was here first." Ted didn't even flinch when Rabastan grabbed the front of his robes and held him close to his face.

"You should leave, now. If you know what's good for you."

"Stop!" Andromeda tried to pull Rabastan off Ted, but he was strong. "Leave him alone!" When Rabastan saw how Dromeda was defending Ted, he dropped the Hufflepuff and stormed out of the tower. "I sorry," Andromeda apologized, "He's a little…"

"Overly-masculine? Overly-pure-blood?" Ted asked as he straightened his robes. Andromeda laughed, although, she didn't know why. Why was she even talking to this kid? He wasn't pure-blood, that's for sure. "Why do you hang out with that guy anyway?" Ted asked as he sat down on a bench.

"My family's rule: pure-bloods only. In fact, if either of my sisters caught me talking to you, I'd be in trouble."

"Why? That's so stupid." Ted didn't look like he was trying to insult her, just trying to understand.

"You know, I never really understood it either." Andromeda looked up to the stars and the pair was silent for a while. When Dromeda finally realized that Ted was inching closer to her, she stood and said, "Well, I have to go." And she ran shakily from the room.

She didn't stop running until she had reached the Slytherin common room. Why had that boy intrigued her so? What was it about him? And why was that family rule in place at all? What was wrong with muggle-borns and half-bloods? Weren't they all just people?

Bellatrix had been in the common room when Dromeda entered and she could clearly see the distress on her sister's face. "What's wrong? Did Rabastan try and hurt you? He stormed in here in a huff, and I thought he'd tried something he couldn't get away with."

"No." Dromeda tried to shake the distressed look off her face, "No, I'm fine. Just deep in thought. I'm going to bed now." And without waiting for her sister's response, Andromeda went upstairs to the dormitory. Back in Narcissa's first year, the two older sisters decided they were no longer going to share their rooms with others. So, Bella bullied the three first year girls into moving into their old rooms, and Bella's old roommates were happy to see her go. Andromeda's roommates didn't want a first year in their room, but with some convincing, they let it go. One year difference wasn't bad.

Andromeda walked into the dorm and flopped face-down on her bed. She sighed big and let her mind wander while she waited for sleep to come. Why had that boy thrown her so much?


	6. Chapter 6

When Narcissa departed from the Lestrange brothers and her sister, it was raining outside. So she ran up to the grand staircase to as much of a secluded corner as she could manage and sat in the windowsill. The thunderstorm was blowing rain in all directions and the lightning was illuminating the lake in short spurts. It was a great sight, and Narcissa leaned her head on the window, closed her eyes, and reveled in the sounds of the thunder and rain. She would have fallen asleep right there in the window, if she hadn't have heard the sound of books clattering to the ground. Narcissa looked around and she soon spotted the little first year boy with greasy black hair and a big nose who had tried, without success, to defend Lilly on the train. He had been sorted into Slytherin and a green and silver scarf hung loosely around his neck. The boy had dropped an armload of books and was scrambling to pick them up. "Let me help you." Cissy said as she hoped down off her windowsill perch.

"Oh." The boy looked up and said, "I didn't realize there was someone else here. I'm sorry if I disturbed you." The boy hurried faster to collect his books.

"You didn't disturb me. I wasn't doing anything," Narcissa picked up a few stray books that had wandered pretty far from their holder. "What's your name?" She asked as she handed the boy back his books.

"Severus." The boy said as he straightened up. "Severus Snape. I'm a first year." He smiled at Narcissa and asked for her name in return.

"Narcissa Black: fourth year." She smiled down at Severus.

"Wait, your Narcissa Black? You're the girl that rich git, Malfoy, in Slytherin won't stop talking about in the common room. I'm only here for a day and it's already annoying." Severus rolled his eyes.

"Oh, he's harmless. Lucius is just a little love-struck." Narcissa laughed.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Severus asked.

"No. Not yet. Maybe someday, but not today." She laughed and tossed her hair.

"Well," Severus said, adjusting his hold on his books, "I need to get these back to my dorm. I knew trying to carry them all up here was a bad idea. I only used three. Oh well." He said goodbye and left, the books teetering precariously in his arms.

Narcissa went back to her perch and let her mind wander to thoughts of Lucius. Did she want him for a boyfriend? Would he make a good boyfriend, husband, father, and friend? She didn't really know, but she knew that she did like him. His shaggy blond hair and pointed features. He boasted about his wealth to others, but never to her. He always tried to humble himself in her presence. Maybe he liked her a lot more than she gave him credit for. He really was a sweet guy. Lucius Malfoy… With his name echoing in her head, she fell asleep in the window.

She couldn't have been asleep for long before she was gently shaken awake. She opened her eyes and Lucius' face came into her field of vision. Narcissa smiled and tried to say his name, but it came out as more of a tangled mess in her mouth. Lucius smiled and whispered, "Let's get you back to the dorms so you can get some sleep."

He started to lift her into his arms, but she pushed him away, suddenly wide awake. He looked confused and opened his mouth to apologize, but she cut him off, "I was dreaming about you." She said quietly.

He blushed but looked pleased. "What was your dream about?" He replied, equally as quiet.

"Just about you and me," Narcissa blushed. She couldn't believe she was sharing this with him.

He smiled and asked, "_Is_ there a you and me?"

She giggled and whispered, "I don't know, why don't you tell me." And he leaned forward and kissed her. His kiss was soft and gentle. He was hesitant and careful in his movements, not wanting to disrespect her. They pulled away and she blushed and said, "I was hoping that'd be the answer." And he escorted her, arm-in-arm back to the Slytherin dungeon.


	7. Chapter 7

Bellatrix was lying on the sofa, staring at the common room fire. She had gotten worried when Narcissa didn't return at the designated bed time at which all students had to be in their common rooms or their dorms. She had shared her discomfort with Lucius, who had gone to go look for her. Just before he had left, a first year with greasy black hair chimed into the conversation. He had met Narcissa in a corridor just outside of the charms classroom and that's where he'd left her. So Lucius set off in that direction. Rodolphus had gone to bed and Bella had decided to stay up. She made the excuse that she was waiting for her sister, but in reality, she was just dying for another chance to talk to Tom alone. He had drifted back downstairs when more people had filled the common room, getting ready to go to bed. He hadn't talked to her like she had hoped he would, instead he just sat in an armchair and observed people.

Now, they were the only two people in the common room. Tom was absorbed in the notebook he was writing in and he didn't notice when Bella got up to stand in front of him. Finally, she cleared her throat and he looked up. His deep brown eyes were mesmerizing and Bellatrix floundered a bit for her words before she said, "Whatcha writing?" She then mentally kicked herself for the lame question. Why would he share it with her?

He smiled a little and said, "Dear Bellatrix, these are my personal thoughts." She kicked herself again, "But," He continued, "You can sit down here with me. I have a question for you"

She eagerly grabbed another chair and pulled it up close. She curled up in it the best her v-neck shirt would let her, and she leaned in, waiting for the mysterious boy to tell her what he wanted to know about her. He looked slightly upwards, thinking hard. Then, he opened his mouth and said, "How important is blood-status to you?"

She was taken aback. Of course it was important, but what if it was a test to see whether or not he could like and trust her? What if he didn't think it was important? But what if he thought it was? She finally spit out the truth, "I believe it is an important thing for all pure-bloods marry other pure-bloods and for mudbloods to just go away and not speak to us." She hoped this was the right answer.

He searched her face and it gave her a creepy feeling, almost as if he could read her mind. "That's good." He stood, "I must retire now. Goodnight Bella, dear." And he went up to his dorm room. Bella was confused. What had just happened?

Before she had much time to try and decipher this boy that has captured her attention so fiercely, she heard a giggle in the hallway outside the common room. Cissy was back. Bella rolled her eyes at the giddy laughter. Cissy was such a goof sometimes. Then, Narcissa rounded the corner and went upstairs to her dorm. She didn't even notice Bella sitting in the corner, but Lucius, who entered shortly after she had disappeared up the stairs, did notice. "Hello Bella." He smiled, "I'm going to bed. Nice to see you, though." He started walking towards the boys' dorms, trying to be calm, but Bella could tell he was just as happy as Narcissa.

Bella wanted to gag. The little lovey-dovey fourth-years were so goofy. The relationship wouldn't last. The honey-moon phase would end soon and when it did, it'd crash hard. Why not have a little fun on the way down? Bella smiled at the thought and said, "Hey, Lucius, that's a lovely shade of lipstick you're wearing." She giggled uncontrollably when he blushed and hurried upstairs, covering his mouth. Bellatrix, having had her fun, stood, stretched, and went up to her dorm. Andromeda was already asleep, but Narcissa was scribbling wildly in her diary. "So, how was your night?" Bella asked coolly as she got changed into her night-dress.

"Fine. Nothing unusual happened." Narcissa shrugged, but she was still smiling stupidly.

"Oh really? You're setting the pages of your diary on fire writing so fast. Just to tell it nothing?" Bella made a movement to smooth her sheets, but she was actually getting ready to grab the book.

"Yep. That's the idea." Cissy kept writing. Bella made her move. She hurtled herself over the bed, grabbed the diary, somersaulted across Narcissa's bed, and landed squarely on Andromeda.

Dromeda shot straight up and asked what was going on. Narcissa went to lunge after Bella, but got tangled up in her sheets. While she was trying to untie herself, Bella yelled, "Andromeda! Grab Cissy and hold her down!" Bella waved the diary in the air, and with a devious smile, Dromeda pinned her baby sister to the bed. Bellatrix cackled and Flipped the diary open, "If you won't tell us, then we'll find out for ourselves."

Narcissa's face was so red with anger, Dromeda thought she might explode. "Oh lighten up, Cissy. You know we love you and wouldn't use this knowledge for evil." The redness faded a bit, but she was still peeved as Bella began to read aloud.

"Dear diary, wow. Lucius is a pretty nice boy. I finally let him kiss me today. He was sweet and gentle and I feel safe around him. I can't help but wonder what he'd—" Bella stopped reading and fell to the floor laughing. Narcissa blushed and Dromeda was yelling at Bella to keep going. "Narcissa, you're so cheesy." Bella giggled, and then continued to read, "What he'd do if he ever proposed. I hope it's romantic. I can't tell my sisters, they'll think I'm nuts, but I really like this guy." Bella tossed the diary back to Narcissa, who was now free from Andromeda. "You know, you can always tell us stuff. I don't think you're nuts. Relationships at this age can work. Mum and dad started dating as fourth years."

Bella came and sat on Narcissa's bed with her sisters. Cissy glared at them, then smiled, "Actually, I'm kind of glad you know. But you can't tease us. Promise?"

They promised and all three of them hugged. It was a sweet moment until Bella said, "But if he ever pressures you to have sex, I'll kill him."

"But what if it's not pressure?" Cissy asked, a gleam in her eye.

Bella simply said, "You better not!" She tried to sound protective, but in reality, she couldn't stand the thought of her sisters losing their virginities before she could.

"And why not?" Cissy sounded defiant, but she was smiling and playing along.

"Because I'll kill you if you get to it before I do." She laughed, but Dromeda had a smirk on her face.

"Sucks to be you." Andromeda stood and moved to her own bed.

"Why's that?" Bella asked, but suddenly, she knew the answer. "Alright, who and when?" She was sort-of angry, now.

"Rabastan Lestrange at the beginning of summer and again last night." Dromeda smiled and lay back down on her bed. "And I'm done discussing it." She didn't know why she said it, but she figured she was just glad to have a leg-up on Bellatrix for once.

Bella and Cissy looked at each other, horrified. But they respected Dromeda's wishes not to talk more about it, plus Bella was sure she didn't want to hear about it. So, she curled up in bed after saying goodnight to Cissy. Bella decided to let her mind wander, but instead, it ran straight to Tom. She couldn't stop thinking about him and every time she did, she became more awake. Finally, she collapsed into a dream that involved a huge snake. The details of the dream were forgotten by the morning, but the snake slithered through her mind all day.


	8. Chapter 8

This wasn't good. This was NOT good. Andromeda was falling for Ted, and she knew it. Curse that day on the astronomy tower! Why had she let herself continue to listen to him? It was the end of October and the Halloween feast was the next night. Ever since the first night they'd met, Ted continued to talk to her and try to impress her. Every day in Charms, he sat right next to her and tried to make her laugh, succeeding on some days, to make her chuckle. She tried hard to ignore him, because she knew her sisters would throw a fit, but she had to admit that he had a certain pull on her. She was falling for him.

She shook her head, trying to clear it. Andromeda couldn't focus anymore these days. All her time and energy went to repressing thoughts about Ted and avoiding Ted and trying not to laugh at the jokes Ted made. It was starting to drive her mad. She stood up from her place in the common room and gathered up her books. She had a major potion essay due the next day and she hoped that relocating to the light din of the library would help her to focus better.

Walking fast through the corridors, Andromeda hoped to avoid anyone who wanted to stop and chat. She wasn't really in the mood for idle prater. But, passing unnoticed through the halls of Hogwarts on the Sunday before Halloween wasn't an easy task. There were kids everywhere, smiling and waving as Andromeda walked along. Halfway to the library, in the Transfiguration hallway, Dromeda spotted Bellatrix and Rodolphus. She would've kept walking, but a second look made her see that the two weren't being affectionate; rather Bella was struggling against Rodolphus. He had her by the arm and she was trying hard to pull away.

Andromeda speed-walked over to where they stood and as she got closer, she heard their conversation, "Let me go!" Bella hissed, pulled hard against Rodolphus.

"Now, now, Bella, why don't you just play nice?" Rodolphus laughed a cold, cruel chuckle and pulled her back to him.

"Stop, Rodolphus!" Bellatrix cried, fear in her eyes.

Rodolphus, suddenly angered by her non-compliance, reached back his available hand, and brought it down hard onto Bella's face. Dropping fast to floor, Bellatrix covered her face with her free hand, while Rodolphus tried to make her face him by pulling hard on her other arm. Andromeda dropped all her things and ran towards Bella, but someone beat her there. "Let her go!" Cousin Sirius Black strode up, confident and relaxed, but intimidating. "Let her go, now." Sirius stared Rodolphus down, his wand placed pointedly on Rodolphus' chest, until Rodolphus let go of Bella's arm, then stomped away.

"Why did you do that?" Bella looked up at her cousin, anger coursing through her.

Sirius shrugged, "Family matters, I suppose." He shrugged and strode away, a slight spring in his step due to the fact that he had just scared off a boy 5 years his elder. He nodded at Andromeda as he passed and disappeared around the corner.

Andromeda walked over to her sister and helped her to stand. A big, ugly bruise was starting to form over her right eye and her lip was bleeding slightly. Before Andromeda could say anything, however, a large 'thud' was heard down the corridor where Rodolphus had taken off. The two sisters ran around the corner to see Tom Riddle standing over Rodolphus Lestrange, wand drawn. "Being an enemy of mine is not ideal." Riddle sneered.

"I- I'm sorry," Rodolphus muttered, his eyes fixated on Tom's wand, "It won't happen again."

"It better not," Tom towered over Rodolphus, his eyes full of power, "If you touch her again, you _will_ regret it." Rodolphus got up and scattered away. Bella, full of awe, ran up to Tom and tried to thank him, but he cut her off, saying she'd better get to Madam Pomphrey's to get patched up.

Alone again, Andromeda went back and gathered up her books and continued down to the library. She didn't know what to think about that Riddle kid. He was sort of creepy and detached. What if he hurt Bella? But what if he cared for her? Andromeda cleared her mind again as she entered the library; she had an essay to write and she could worry about the affairs of her older sister later.

Looking for a table to sit at, Andromeda spotted Narcissa sitting at a table by herself. She started to go over, but when she got close, Lucius popped out from behind a near-by bookshelf and made his way to the table; books teetering precariously in his arms. Narcissa looked up with a smile and shifted Lucius' book bag off of the seat next to her so he could sit down. He teetered closer to the table, but then dropped several of the books. They landed with a thud on his foot, causing him to abandon the rest of them and hold his right foot. Narcissa worked hard to repress her giggles as Lucius' face turned bright red in his effort to restrain the chain of curse words that were obviously running through his mind.

Andromeda decided to leave them to each other and went to find another table. She turned a corner to another cluster of tables and saw Ted sitting there, his nose buried in his homework. She stopped short and turned to leave, but not before Ted noticed her. "Hi, Andromeda!" He waved at her cheerily.

Frowning, she turned back to face him, "Don't talk to me." She said pointedly. She then turned and went to find another table. Putting a few book shelves of distance between her and Ted, Andromeda sat down at an empty table, but no sooner had she pulled out her book and parchment, than Ted cam up to her table.

"I'm sorry if I made you angry," He said quietly, looking at her with a look of complete innocence, "I was just trying to be nice."

Andromeda suddenly felt guilty. She didn't like being mean to people, but if her sisters caught her associating with a mudblood, she'd be dead. But, her sisters were preoccupied with boys of their own at the moment… "I'm sorry; I'm just a little distracted today. I can't focus on my essay. And it's due tomorrow."

"Well, can I help?" Ted asked and he sat down next to her and pulled her prompt closer to him, "Ugh. The twelve uses of dragon's blood. Leave it to Slughorn to pull the hardest assignment out of his hat." Ted sighed and took out a spare piece of parchment.

Andromeda couldn't help but notice how cute he looked while he was starting an outline of her essay. His brow furrowed and he bit his lower lip in concentration. She smiled and an image of her in a wedding dress and Ted in a tux flashed through her mind. Horrified by her lack of restraint and remembering her blood line, she shook the image fervently from her mind. Ted had finished the outline to the essay and slid it to her, "There," He said proudly, putting his quill down, "That should help you to stay on track better."

Before Dromeda could thank him, however, a sight out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she turned in her seat to look. In the corner of the library, in the plush chairs, Rabastan sat with a tall, blond Ravenclaw with a big chest on his lap. They were snogging passionately and Andromeda thought she was going to be sick. All the memories of her and Rabastan's time together in the summer came rushing back. He had told her that he loved her and that's why she'd slept with him, but obviously, he loved more people than just her. If he even loved her at all.

Hot tears filing her eyes, Dromeda stood and stomped over to where they sat. She put her hands on her hips and said, "What do you think you're doing?" It took all her willpower to keep her voice even. She was going to break down and cry and the last person she wanted to see her do it, was Rabastan and this stupid Ravenclaw.

"Hey Dromeda," Rabastan smiled as she had caught him reading a book instead of cheating on her, "Wanna join the party?" he asked, shifting the blond to make room for her on his lap.

Disgusted, she recoiled from his arm that had reached out to pull her close, "No. Not now and not ever again. We're done." She stomped away, leaving her books behind at the table and heading as fast as she could to the common room. Andromeda was going to start crying and she didn't want anyone to see.

She burst into the common room and ignored Bella and Tom, who were sitting on the couch talking, Bella holding an ice pack to her head, and went straight to the dorm. Bella was calling after her, asking her what was wrong, but she ignored her. Andromeda threw herself down on her bed and started sobbing. Bella came in and sat on the edge of her bed and asked her again what was wrong.

It took Dromeda a few minutes to compose herself enough to tell her what had happened in the library. Bella held her sister as she talked and then, smoothing Andromeda's hair, Bella said, "You did the right thing in dumping him. Now all you have to do is refuse to take him back." She spoke softly and deliberately. Andromeda sat up, nodded and asked to be alone. Once Bella had left the room, Dromeda fell back on her pillow and cried herself to sleep. In the weeks to come, Rabastan tried to apologize and tried to get her back, but she refused. She ignored him and even told him to get lost a few times. When his advances were denied a sixth time, Rabastan Lestrange vowed revenge on Andromeda. Andromeda just rolled her eyes and figured he couldn't possibly do anything awful enough to worry about. So, Andromeda ignored him and went about her business. But, before she knew it, his revenge came. And it was worse than she had acknowledged.


	9. Chapter 9

Weeks had passed since Rabastan had sworn his revenge on Andromeda, and the three girls had forgotten about it. Narcissa awoke that morning in an exceptionally good mood. It was only a few more days until Christmas vacation and today was the final Hogsmead visit of the semester. Today was also the day of her and Lucius's first official date. He'd asked her a few days earlier, taking her aside in the Great Hall, and she'd been walking on air ever since. She got out of bed and put on the cutest outfit she had: dark skinny jeans tucked into her white calf-high boots, and a tight white turtle neck sweater that accented her curves and made her blue eyes seem larger and more crystalline. She draped her Slytherin scarf around her neck and, satisfied with her appearance, Narcissa left to go to breakfast.

On the way to the Great Hall, Narcissa ran into Lucius. He was at the opposite end of the main entryway, getting his ear chattered off by a little Severus Snape. Snape had taken to following Lucius around everywhere like a lost puppy and Narcissa found it slightly annoying. Lucius, however, didn't mind. He ignored the first most of the time, and the only time he got annoyed with it was when Severus couldn't take a hint that he and Cissy wanted some alone time. Fortunately, Snape was too young to go into Hogsmead, so the couple would have the whole day to themselves.

Lucius caught sight of her from across the entryway and stared at her, mouth agape. He seemed transfixed until a comment from a near-by Slytherin fifth-year, who had spotted Narcissa as well, snapped him out of his trance. He glared at the other boy and Narcissa waved, but Lucius didn't see it. He was too busy reprimanding the other boy. Shaking her head, Narcissa entered the Hall and went to sit at her House table. Not many people were in the Great Hall, due to the fact that Cissy had woken up later than normal, so she sped as fast as she could through her meal.

When she had finished, Narcissa went back to the Slytherin common room to fetch her purse. She descended the stairs to the dungeons and almost ran right into the Lestrange brothers in the corridor. She tucked a strand of her long, pale blond hair behind her ear and nodded at the brothers as she tried to pass them. However, Rabastan stuck his arm out to block her path. "Ah, Narcissa, just the girl we were looking for," he said with a cold grin on his face.

He grabbed Narcissa's wrists and pinned them above her head against the cold stone of the wall. "What do you want?" Cissy asked, trying to mask her fear as she struggled against Rabastan's grip.

"You see, Cissy," Rodolphus said as he took over control of her right wrist, and walked his fingers up her arm, "Bellatrix and Andromeda aren't playing nice right now, and so we thought you'd want to have a little fun." Narcissa's eyes widened. She now realized that this was Rabastan's revenge and Rodolphus, angered that Bella had left him after he'd hit her a second time and was now pursuing Tom Riddle, had decided to join in. She looked pleadingly into Rodolphus's eyes, silently begging him to let her go.

While she was focused on Rodolphus, though, Rabastan suddenly shot his hand up her shirt and rested it hard on her chest; pushing her even harder against the wall. She yelped and struggled harder, but she was no match for the two brothers. The wrestled her to the ground in the blink of an eye, Rabastan holding her wrists to the ground with one hand, and covering her mouth with the other while Rodolphus was straddling her hips and fumbling with the buttons on her jeans. He'd gotten them unbuttoned and was staring down at her with an arrogant and power-hungry grin when he brought his hand down hard onto her chest, then her face. The wind knocked out of her and her face throbbing, Narcissa was starting to cry. She was absolutely powerless and was sure that they were going to have their way with her and there was nothing she could do about it. She had given up and resigned to her fate, when an angry voice yelled, "GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF HER!"

The two brothers turned to see Lucius standing, wand drawn, at the end of the corridor. His blond hair hung in the cold silver eyes that were shooting daggers and flashing wildly in his rage. Rabastan threw his head back and laughed, but he barely got the sound out before the white light of the stunning spell Lucius had cast his him square in the chest and sent him flying into the wall. Rabastan slid down the wall and hit the floor in a loud 'thump', unconscious. Rodolphus looked from his brother to his attacker, and then he too drew his wand and stood to face Lucius.

Narcissa scrambled to her feet and threw herself up against the far wall. She righted her clothes and cowered from the fight that was ensuing. Lucius and Rodolphus were circling each other slowly, waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Lucius moved to cast something and Rodolphus cut him off, yelling, "Avada Kedavra!"

Narcissa screamed as the green jet of light missed Lucius's head by a fraction of an inch. "Expelliarmus!" Lucius yelled and Rodolphus's hand flew from his hand. Before Lestrange even had time to think, a stunning spell hit him in the face and he was thrown back on top of his brother. Narcissa was shaking. She was shocked from her close call with the brothers, shaken from the duel, and so over-whelmed with emotion and feelings for Lucius, that her body couldn't contain it all. She loved him and she knew that he loved her back; why else would he fight for her so hard? She suddenly didn't want to ever leave him. Just standing five feet away from him made her ache to close the gap. There was an invisible string connecting them now.

Seeing that she was shaking, and not being able to tolerate the distance between them, Lucius walked forward and Narcissa collapsed thankfully into his arms. A few final tears rolled down her face and he wiped them away delicately. He pulled her tighter to him and petted her beautiful blond hair, promising to never let anyone hurt her and to never leave her side again. They stayed like that for several minutes, before Lucius realized the time and pulled her along gently to the waiting carriages, casting an aura of belonging around them. It was if he had conjured a giant neon sign above their heads that said, "Together". Narcissa felt permanently bonded to the young man next to her and the thought made her smile.

They had a pleasant day in Hogsmead together, forgetting the events of the day and enjoying each other's company. They had run into Bellatrix and Tom in Honeydukes early in the day and seeing the violently red mark on Narcissa's face from Rodolphus, Bella began to throw question after question at her. Promising to answer all questions later, Narcissa eventually convinced her sister that she was Ok and she slipped out of the store, leaving Bella to continue to flirt with Tom.

Lucius pulled her into the Three Broomsticks ten minutes before they were supposed to leave to go back up to the castle. He ordered them two Butterbeers and when they came, Narcissa took a big gulp of hers. It warmed her to the core and she was suddenly content and sleepy. She laid her head on Lucius's shoulder and she would've fallen asleep if he hadn't spoken up, "Cissa," she smiled at the name only he was allowed to call her and she sat up to look at him, "I have something for you."

He took her right hand and slipped a silver ring with a diamond snake in front of two ruby swords onto her finger. "This is my family crest. The snake represents tough regality and the ruby swords represent the pure-blood in all of us. I want you to wear it. Because I love you."

There it was. He'd finally said that he loved her. Narcissa resisted the urge to football-tackle him into a hug and kiss him until the owner of the pub kicked them out, so instead she just looked at the ring and nodded fiercely, not exactly sure what she was nodding about, "There's more," Lucius said, pulling her hands closer to him, "Will you come spend the last half of Christmas vacation with me and my family?"

She couldn't hold back any more. Narcissa threw her arms around Lucius and hugged him tight. He laughed and said, "I'll take that as a yes." Then he stood and held out his hand. She took it and interlaced her fingers into his. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and they walked back to the castle, hand in hand through the swirling snow fall, smiling the whole way.

Waking in her own bed the day after Christmas felt good to Narcissa. She'd had a good vacation so far, but the anticipation of that evening had been killing her all week. Lucius would be coming to get her that evening at 7 and she was sure that the day was going to go by to slow for Narcissa's taste. She got up out of bed and started to pack her things, delicately wrapping her jewel encrusted hairbrush in an old t-shirt before placing it in her trunk. She worked on packing all the way through lunch, and then she pounded down the stairs to the kitchen. Her mother wasn't going to be home until dinner time because she and her friends went shopping for the day and her dad had an emergency work meeting at the Ministry, so Narcissa had to fix her own lunch.

After she'd made a sandwich and sat down at the table with today's copy of the Daily Prophet, Bella wandered down the stairs and sat down across from Narcissa with a bowl of cereal. She smiled at her sister and said, "Are you excited for today?" Narcissa nodded and smiled. She tried to avoid talking about Lucius to her sister because her love life is such a mess currently. After breaking up with Rodolphus, she kept vying for Tom's attention and wasn't receiving it in the bounds she wanted. He talked to her a lot, but no matter how hard she flirts, he hasn't asked her out. And Rodolphus keeps trying to get her back and she almost went, but then Narcissa told her about what he and his brother had done, Bella swore to never go back to him.

They ate in silence until Bella went back upstairs and Narcissa was alone with the newspaper. Nothing interesting was going on in the wizarding world, so after finishing the last bite of her sandwich, Cissy folded the newspaper and went back upstairs. She was almost done packing, and after a few minutes, she was all done except for her favorite jacket. Narcissa looked through her closet, under her bed, in her hamper, in her dresser, and she was about to give up when she remembered that she had given it her mom to mend the small hole in the pocket. So Narcissa made her way down the hall to her parents' bedroom, but when she opened the door, the sight that greeted her was so horrifying, it rooted her to the floor.

Her father was not at work; he was tangled up in a leggy brunette from his department at the ministry. The sound of the door opening made the adulterers look up at Cissy. He father turned red with embarrassment, then red with anger, "OUT!" He yelled, "GET OUT!" Narcissa spun and ran down the hall to her room. She slammed the door and threw herself onto her bed, hot tears stinging her eyes. How could he? How could he cheat on his wife in their home? Their bed? With their children just doors away? Narcissa let the tears fall and stayed curled up on her bed until 6:30, when she dragged herself up and closed her trunk. She composed herself and brushed her hair.

Lucius was going to be there soon and she didn't want him to worry about her. She had just finished making herself look like she hadn't spent all afternoon crying when a faint 'pop' was heard from the street. He was here. Narcissa instantly felt better. She drug her trunk downstairs and out into the street where Druella Black was shaking hands with Abraxus Malfoy and his wife, Chanella. Lucius was standing between his parents answering Mr. Black's questions, but he cut across her father when he saw Narcissa. He ran to grab her trunk and when he reached her, he whispered so only she could hear, "Good evening, Cissa." He then smiled when he saw that she was wearing his ring.

Narcissa hugged both her sisters and her mother, avoiding her father as much as he was avoiding her, and went over to the Malfoy family. Mr. Malfoy had her trunk in one hand, his wife's hand in the other. Lucius had a hold of his mother's hand and grabbed Narcissa's just as the world went black and Narcissa felt like she was being squeezed through a vise. Suddenly her lungs filled with air and she was standing in front of a large mansion atop a hill. Malfoy Manor.

Lucius carried her trunk in and showed her the guest room. It was large and bare with heavy curtains over the windows. Lucius set her trunk at the foot of her bed and pulled her close. They stood, locked in a hug until Mrs. Malfoy called them down to dinner. Then, they pulled reluctantly away and went down the stairs, Lucius pointing to his room as they passed it in the hallway. The meal consisted of turkey, bread, pumpkin juice, and cake for dessert. Narcissa answered Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy's questions as she ate and once they got to the cake, they'd run out of questions to ask, so it fell silent.

The silence drug on for a few minutes before Mr. Malfoy finally said, "Son, where's your crest ring? I've just noticed that you haven't had it on all break."

Lucius blushed and grabbed Narcissa's right hand under the table, pulling it up to show his parents where his ring was. Mr. Malfoy looked from his son to Narcissa, nodded and said, "That's my boy." Narcissa blushed and continued to eat her cake in silence.

When the meal was over and the whole house was in bed, Narcissa was lying awake, unable to sleep. Her mind kept going back to how her dad was cheating on her mom. It was a much warmer night and the rain was pattering on her window, and she would give anything for it to give her comfort tonight. But her mind was so far away from the manor, that not even the rain could soothe her to sleep. Narcissa kicked her covers off and treaded softly down the hall to Lucius's room. She rapped softly on the door and after a few seconds, Lucius opened the door. He was rubbing his right eye and the pale skin on his bare chest glinted in the moonlight coming from the windows.

Seeing who it was, Lucius smiled big and said, "Hi baby." He stepped forward and pressed his lips to hers. He closed his arms around her and kissed her harder. She knew what he thought she'd come for, and she wanted nothing more than to melt into him and give him what he wanted. She kissed him harder and backed him into his room, swinging the door shut behind them. They stood in the center of his room, kissing harder and harder every second. But suddenly, Narcissa's troubles came flooding back to her and she pushed Lucius away from her gently, "Sorry." He whispered, trying to hide his disappointment, but seeing the tears in her eyes, he asked her what was wrong. She hugged him and buried her face in his chest, crying as hard as she had earlier, "Come here," Lucius said as he pulled her down to sit on the bed. He crawled under the blue cotton covers and pulled her close. She laid her head on his chest and told him her story.

He stroked her hair and listened, offering comforting words here and there. There wasn't much he could say, but Narcissa was just glad that there was someone listening to her. Her voice gradually got softer and softer and Lucius's stroking got slower and slower until they fell asleep in each others' arms listening to the patter of the rain.


	10. Chapter 10

Bellatrix Black was mad. She was so angry; she refused to talk to her sisters on the train. Tom hadn't written her back all vacation and she had been sure that he was interested in her! The Hogsmead visit before break, he'd spent the whole day with her, so why was he ignoring her now? Bella stomped through the halls of Hogwarts in a rage. She had no idea where she was going, all she knew is that she didn't hated people at the moment.

She rounded a corner and saw a first year girl walking alone. Suddenly, Bella felt extremely vindictive. She pulled her wand fast and with a quick flick of the wrist, the books jettisoned out of the little girls' hands. Bella walked up to the girl and pushed her down. She felt empowered and slightly better. It felt strangely good to be in power over those who were weaker. When the girl looked up at her, Bella recognized her as one of the muggle-born witched. Disgusted, Bellatrix grabbed the glasses off the girls face and stepped on them. "You dirty little mudblood!" She hissed at the girl and the first year began to cry.

Tom heard crying, though, he couldn't figure out where from. Stopping in the middle of the hall, he strained to locate the sound. It was coming from the hallway to his left, so, smiling slightly, he set off in that direction. He was hoping that he could find the crying kid and maybe squeeze a couple more tears out of whomever it was and take credit for the whole thing, but when he rounded the corner, he saw Bellatrix Black standing over a first year Ravenclaw. Bella's black hair hung around her face in loose curls and her dark eyes radiated mirth as she laughed at the crying girl at her feet. The Ravenclaw was trying to pick up her scattered textbooks and the pieces of her shattered glasses. Once the girl stood up, Bella just pushed her back down and laughed again, spitting out the word 'mudblood' at the first year between giggles. Tom smiled at Bella, the thought wheels in his head turning rapidly, and as he walked over to her, he muttered to himself, "Potential."

Bella, having had her fun, told the girl to get out of her sight. She laughed again as the girl cried even harder and sprinted away, leaving her textbooks and glasses behind. Bella felt so much better and with a spring in her step, she turned to go back to the common room. Tom Riddle was walking towards her with a slight smile on her face, and Bella's mirth melted into a nervous giddiness, "Uh, hi, Tom." Bella spluttered.

"Hello Bellatrix," Tom stopped right in front of her and held out his hand, "Can I get you a butterbeer from the kitchen?" Bella took his hand and almost fainted, she was so elated. Tom led her down to the Great Hall and charmed a few house elves into bringing them up two butterbeers from the Three Broomsticks. Once they had the drinks and Bella's girlish glee had been intensified by the slight alcohol, Tom spoke up, "You know, I really enjoyed seeing you give that stupid little mudblood what she deserves. It was… invigorating."

Bella smiled and batted her eyes, hoping that it looked sexy instead of drunk on happiness, like she felt. Apparently, it worked, because Tom moved his hand slightly and curled his pinky finger around hers. Bellatrix blushed and tried not to giggle stupidly. He found her invigorating! Did that mean 'turned-on'? She hoped so. "Tom?" She said tentatively, "Does this- does this mean we're…" She trailed off and resisted the urge to face-palm. How lame did that sound? Trying to ask him if they were a couple? She turned bright red and sipped her butterbeer.

"Together?" Tom said coolly, "I guess you could say that." He smiled at her and she melted.

And so their relationship began. But, too slowly for Bella's liking. January and February passed with light dating; just them spending time in the common room and eating meals together, while Narcissa's relationship with Lucius grew strong and stronger. Bella became irritated with her baby sister's love and the slow advancement of her own, and she even lashed out at Narcissa once.

Narcissa had been giggling about something with Andromeda when Bella walked into the dorms, "What are you so damn happy about?" Bella spit out.

Narcissa, taken aback, said, "We were just talking about Lucius."

Bella's eyes flashed angrily, "Well, shut up! No one cares!"

Narcissa was hurt, and she let it show, "You're being cruel, Bella." She hung her head and Dromeda stared at Bella with a mix of confusion and contempt for her attitude.

Bella's demeanor instantly changed. She dropped her shoulders and with a defeated look, she flopped on her bed and spoke to her sisters, "I'm sorry, I'm just frustrated with Tom and you're happy and perfect relationship is making me sorta jealous."

"What's wrong with Tom? What's he done?" Andromeda asked, her face showing concerned for her sister. All three of the sisters had suffered greatly at the hands of the Lestrange brothers, and Dromeda didn't want her twice beaten sister to have to go through it all over again with a new guy.

"He hasn't done anything! And that's what frustrates me! I feel like he doesn't care if this relationship advances or not! He won't make any moves! ARG!" She let out an exasperated sigh and rolled over to bury her face in her pillow.

"Bella, sometimes YOU have to make the move. Maybe Tom wants a more aggressive girl, so you have to make the move. And if not, there's nothing too extremely negative that can come from it." Narcissa offered her advice and it made sense to Bella.

Now it was March and Bella decided to put her plan into action. They were studying in the library that evening and were alone in their cozy corner. Bella crossed her legs sexily and slowly and subtly tugged her skirt up higher while she flirted with Tom; pulling her chair closer and making comments about how 'cute he looked when he read'. But Tom was remaining completely stony to her advances. Bellatrix, finally fed up, stood and moved towards his chair, lost her nerve and circled back. Tom didn't even look up from his textbook, if he'd noticed she'd gotten up, he didn't show it. He just turned the page and continued to read. Finally, she got her nerve back. Bella walked strongly over to his chair, and ripped the book out of his hands; tossing it over her shoulder. Before he had the chance to ask her what was going on, she placed her knees on either side of his waist, sat on his lap, grabbed the front of his shirt and kissed him passionately.

To her surprise, Tom didn't push her away, he just kissed her back. Bella pulled back and smiled slyly. She brushed a stray lock of brown hair from his face and whispered, "Do I need to be the leader in this relationship?"

Tom's smile faded and he said in a flat voice, "No." The he kissed her again, moving his lips over her neck and jaw line.

She pushed him back, "Then step it up." Both of them smiled and continued what she had interrupted. And from there, the relationship only went uphill.


	11. Chapter 11

Andromeda was enjoying life. She finally gave into Ted Tonks and let him fill her head with his ideals. She had a new lease on life and she felt freer, less confined. He had opened her eyes to the fact that her family's pure-blood obsession was stupid and that mudbl-, muggle-borns, were actually great people and there was nothing wrong with them. She'd started secretly hanging out with Ted on breaks and anytime she could; avoiding places her sisters might be.

Ted kept trying to get her to just tell her family. That they'd understand and love her anyway, but she knew that she'd never EVER get away with having a muggle-born friend. But, while she was hanging out with him on the Astronomy tower one night, her whole life changed forever.

"What's your favorite constellation?" Ted asked her. They were lying on the ground and gazing up at the stars in the night sky.

"Orion." Dromeda said, not really favoring any constellations, but saying the first one to come to mind, "And yours?"

Ted squinted, a habit he had when he was thinking, and then finally said, "Big Dipper. It's cliché, but I like it."

"It's not cliché," Andromeda said, nudging his elbow. The couple fell silent until Ted sat up and put his hands in his lap, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm just thinking about our friendship." Ted looked at his hands and fiddled mindlessly with the end of his robes, "It's getting more complicated."

"How do you mean?" Andromeda asked, even though she knew what he was talking about. They were growing closer, but that made it harder to keep their budding relationship from her sisters.

"I'm tired of sneaking around. Pretending we don't know each other during the day, and sneaking off to hang out during the night. Do you even care for me like you say you do?"

Dromeda was taken aback. Why would he think that she didn't? She sat up and said, "Of course, Ted. But you know how my family is. I can't survive on my own if they kick me out. I'm just a 5th year."

"But you won't be on your own. I'll still be your… friend." Ted hesitated before the last word.

Dromeda could tell he was struggling to say what he wanted to, "Ted," She put her hand on his arm, "I can tell you want to say something, so just say it."

Ted took a deep breath, "I love you, OK?"

Andromeda froze. Now what? "Oh." Was all she said. Did she love Ted? She would admit that she liked him enough to be friends with him, but did she love him? Andromeda didn't know what to do, she was suddenly very conscience of the silence in the air.

Ted stood, "Alright. You don't have to feel the same way, but I was just throwing it out there. I'll leave you alone now." He started to leave.

And in that moment, when she was about to lose him, Andromeda knew her answer. She jumped up and grabbed Ted's arm, whirling him around to face her. Then, throwing all caution and care to the wind, she kissed him.

Ted was shocked, but then gave in and kissed her back. When they pulled away, Andromeda whispered, "I love you too." He smiled at her and she thought, _And now I'm screwed. _But for some reason, she didn't mind that much.


	12. Chapter 12

Narcissa was walking to the library for another one of her meetings with Lily. She and Lily had grown close during the school year and they met regularly to hang out. Her sisters weren't very happy that she was friends with a Gryffindor at first, but lately, they were so preoccupied with their own lives, that they'd stopped harassing her about it. Lily Evans was seated at an empty table towards the back of the library, her flaming red hair falling around her face as she poured over her textbook.

"Hey Lily!" Narcissa said as she took a seat across from Lily. When Lily looked up, her vivid green eyes were shining with tears, "What's wrong?" Cissy moved to the chair next to her and tried to put a comforting arm around her.

But Lily shrugged her away, "You used the term 'mudblood' at the beginning of the school year."

"What about it?" Narcissa asked, confused.

"Well, I just found out what it means and it's a terrible term!" Lily was scooting away from her faster.

"I'm sorry; I didn't know you had those ideals." Cissy whispered quietly.

"Those ideals?" Lily raised her voice a bit, "My parents are muggles. I'm a muggle-born and what you call a 'mudblood'."

Narcissa paled. Lily was a mudblood? Crap. Now what was she supposed to do? Arg. She hated being mean, but she didn't want to upset her family, "Look, Lily, I didn't know. I really like our friendship, so please don't be mad!"

"But you hate muggle-borns and you even told me that they were 'bad'."

"That's my family's ideals. I have to follow them." She was lying through her teeth, but if she could keep Lily's blood line from her family, it'd all work out.

"So, you really don't feel that way?" Lily softened and looked at Cissy now.

"Of course not." Narcissa forced the words out. She needed time to think. She really liked Lily, but there's no way a friendship with a muggle-born can produce anything good. Maybe she just needed to wade out the rest of the year, and then gradually grow apart from Lily. But, that thought made Narcissa slightly sad.

So Narcissa decided to remain friend with Lily and worry about the consequences when her sisters started paying more attention to her.


	13. Chapter 13

Andromeda was sitting on her bed at Hogwarts. She was supposed to be packing to go home for Easter holidays, but she couldn't. She and Ted had decided that she was going to tell her family over the vacation that they were dating. Their relationship was too far developed to hide it anymore. They were rapidly progressing to the point where Andromeda wanted to be around him all the time, and hiding that was too difficult.

So, she had made the resolution to tell her family over the holidays, but now that the holidays were here, the resolution was getting harder to stick to. Andromeda finally stood and started throwing her things into her suitcase. She wasn't too concerned with getting everything nice and folded; she was just throwing her things in her trunk. Her sisters were already on the train and she had to hurry before she missed it.

When all her things were packed and her trunk on the train, Andromeda lay down across the seats in her compartment and watched her sisters. Bella was sitting across from her reading a book that Tom had lent to her and ignoring everything around her. Lucius and Narcissa were sitting next to Bella, smiling and chatting about school, life, and each other. Normally, Andromeda would roll her eyes at her sister's giddiness, but if Ted were pure-blood, she'd be doing the exact same thing right now.

The holidays were hard to get through. Dromeda decided that waiting to tell them until the last day of break would be the best thing for her, but fate had another idea. Andromeda was sitting on the sofa watching TV when her mom came in, "Dear, why didn't you bring a boy home? Your younger sister did and Bella was going to until that Tom boy cancelled." Oh mummy dearest, always obsessed with her getting married. Andromeda didn't want to deal with this; she was already irritated from the massive amount of potions homework assigned over the break.

"Because I have no one to bring home." Dromeda hoped that would close the case.

Apparently, it didn't, "Well, I met this lovely young man the other day. He was a bit old for you, but he has a younger brother who'd be about your age. I thought we'd have them over for dinner."

"Mum, quit trying to set me up with people." Dromeda said, a little more curtly than she normally would.

"I just think you need to find someone, so I'm setting up that date." Druella turned to leave the room, but she stopped at her daughter's protest.  
>"No."<p>

"Excuse me?" Druella turned back to face Andromeda.

"I said no. I won't go out with him."

"And why not?" Her mother was making Dromeda more and more angry.

Finally, Dromeda exploded with the truth, "Because I already have a boyfriend. His name is Ted Tonks, he's mudblood and I don't care what you think!"

Ten minutes later, Andromeda was standing on the front lawn as her mother was throwing her things out the bedroom window. Ted didn't live far, thankfully, and he was already on his way to pick her up. But for now, she just listened to her mother scream about how she'll never be known as a Black again, and how she's a dirty traitor, unfit to live in that house and that she'll never be allowed back home ever again. Bella watched from the porch. She was happy that Andromeda was being disowned. That's what she got for being a traitor, for kissing a mudblood.

Ted arrived and, dodging the several frying pans and glass objects Druella was hurling at him, he grabbed all her stuff and loaded it into his parents' car. Andromeda waved goodbye to her sisters. Bella only sneered, but Cissy looked sort of guilty and gave her and acknowledging nod. Not until the house was well out of sight, did Andromeda lay her head on Ted's shoulder and start to cry.


	14. Chapter 14

Andromeda was sitting on her bed at Hogwarts. She was supposed to be packing to go home for Easter holidays, but she couldn't. She and Ted had decided that she was going to tell her family over the vacation that they were dating. Their relationship was too far developed to hide it anymore. They were rapidly progressing to the point where Andromeda wanted to be around him all the time, and hiding that was too difficult.

So, she had made the resolution to tell her family over the holidays, but now that the holidays were here, the resolution was getting harder to stick to. Andromeda finally stood and started throwing her things into her suitcase. She wasn't too concerned with getting everything nice and folded; she was just throwing her things in her trunk. Her sisters were already on the train and she had to hurry before she missed it.

When all her things were packed and her trunk on the train, Andromeda lay down across the seats in her compartment and watched her sisters. Bella was sitting across from her reading a book that Tom had lent to her and ignoring everything around her. Lucius and Narcissa were sitting next to Bella, smiling and chatting about school, life, and each other. Normally, Andromeda would roll her eyes at her sister's giddiness, but if Ted were pure-blood, she'd be doing the exact same thing right now.

The holidays were hard to get through. Dromeda decided that waiting to tell them until the last day of break would be the best thing for her, but fate had another idea. Andromeda was sitting on the sofa watching TV when her mom came in, "Dear, why didn't you bring a boy home? Your younger sister did and Bella was going to until that Tom boy cancelled." Oh mummy dearest, always obsessed with her getting married. Andromeda didn't want to deal with this; she was already irritated from the massive amount of potions homework assigned over the break.

"Because I have no one to bring home." Dromeda hoped that would close the case.

Apparently, it didn't, "Well, I met this lovely young man the other day. He was a bit old for you, but he has a younger brother who'd be about your age. I thought we'd have them over for dinner."

"Mum, quit trying to set me up with people." Dromeda said, a little more curtly than she normally would.

"I just think you need to find someone, so I'm setting up that date." Druella turned to leave the room, but she stopped at her daughter's protest.  
>"No."<p>

"Excuse me?" Druella turned back to face Andromeda.

"I said no. I won't go out with him."

"And why not?" Her mother was making Dromeda more and more angry.

Finally, Dromeda exploded with the truth, "Because I already have a boyfriend. His name is Ted Tonks, he's mudblood and I don't care what you think!"

Ten minutes later, Andromeda was standing on the front lawn as her mother was throwing her things out the bedroom window. Ted didn't live far, thankfully, and he was already on his way to pick her up. But for now, she just listened to her mother scream about how she'll never be known as a Black again, and how she's a dirty traitor, unfit to live in that house and that she'll never be allowed back home ever again. Bella watched from the porch. She was happy that Andromeda was being disowned. That's what she got for being a traitor, for kissing a mudblood.

Ted arrived and, dodging the several frying pans and glass objects Druella was hurling at him, he grabbed all her stuff and loaded it into his parents' car. Andromeda waved goodbye to her sisters. Bella only sneered, but Cissy looked sort of guilty and gave her and acknowledging nod. Not until the house was well out of sight, did Andromeda lay her head on Ted's shoulder and start to cry.


	15. Chapter 15

***WARNING* This chapter contains some sexual content, so be aware.**

Tom was pleased with Bellatrix, and that made her extremely happy. He was pleased that her mother had thrown Andromeda out, but he was even more pleased that Bella had thrown her out of their dorm room as well. He'd asked her to meet him that night. She was ecstatic all day and couldn't think straight until it was time to leave.

Bellatrix stole through the shadows at midnight, making her way as fast as she could to the seventh floor of the castle. Her breathing was shallow and overly excited as she tried to silence the beating of her heart. This was it. Tom and she were finally going to be alone. Her heart sped up again. She stopped and took a deep breath. He was waiting just around the corner and if she seemed over-eager, then she might ruin the night.

Bella took one last calming breath before rounding the corner. In the middle of the corridor was Tom Riddle. _Her_ Tom. The boy with wavy chestnut brown hair, cool grey eyes, and an undying calm demeanor. She loved him whole-heartedly and she wouldn't deny it. They were going to be together forever and they were going to prove it tonight, "Hello, Bella. Do you know where we are?" He asked calmly. She shook her head, afraid her voice would give away her excited tension, "We're outside the Room of Requirement."

Bellatrix cocked her head; there were no doors in the corridor, so where was this room he was talking about? She opened her mouth to ask her question out loud, but before she could get it out, he grabbed her hand and turned her to face the bare wall. She was about to ask her question again when the wall in front of them materialized into a large wooden door. Bella gasped and Tom tugged her inside the door.

The Room of Requirement was lofty and spacious, with a slight draft flowing through it. There were cushions of various shades of blue and pieces of blue fabric all around the room and in the center was a large bed, big enough to fit a half-giant comfortably. The bed had pale blue curtain hanging around it in a canopy and the deep blue of the silk sheets reminded Bella of the ocean.

She was at a loss for words; it was beyond romantic. Candles were floating of their own accord around the room, casting cool shadows around the spacious quarters. Tom smiled at her and pulled her over to the bed. He sat down and patted the sheets beside him. Bella sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed; the silk felt like water beneath her, "I love you." She whispered.

Tom laughed a little and said, "I know." Then he kissed her, pushing her down onto the pillows of the bed. He moved his hands up her curves and onto the sides of her face, kissing her harder. Bella moved her hands up and down his chest and felt the toned muscles on his arms. She rolled over on top of him and pulled her night-shirt off, revealing her black bra, and bent down to kiss his neck. Tom moaned with pleasure as he reached up for the clasp on the front of her bra.

They were both breathing hard. Bella was in ecstasy. Never in her whole life had she experienced THAT much pleasure. She wrapped her arms around Tom's naked waist and pulled herself closer to him, placing her head on his bare chest. They stayed like that for a while, listening to each other's breathing. Bella thought Tom had fallen asleep, until he moved. He squirmed slightly, then harder, then finally pushed her away and got out of bed altogether, "What's wrong, Tom?" Bella asked, confused and concerned.

Tom pulled on his pants and buttoned them in silence. It was only when he was fully-clothed did he finally speak to her, "I don't love you." Then he turned and walked out of the Room.

Bellatrix felt as though her heart had been ripped out. She fell back on the bed and fought back the tears. How—Why-? She was so shocked, she couldn't even figure out what had just happened. Suddenly, the reality dawned on her: He had used her. He had pretended to love her and then used her for sex. He didn't actually love her and he never would. Bella's chest exploded in pain and her sanity snapped in two. She curled up in a ball, sobbing and shaking, her heart broken beyond repair and her mind forever unmendable. She cried and cried; drowning in the silk of the sheets and the sorrow in her soul. The pain was so unbearable, she flattened herself out and let out a horrifying, blood-curdling scream, then resolved to sobbing into the sheets. She clawed at her chest in a desperate attempt to pull out the very thing causing her so much pain, but the only thing she managed to do was give herself a few long cuts that started to bleed. She was shaking from the horror of the night that had started so well. She just lay on her side, numb and cold as silent tears ran down her face onto the pillow and tears of blood ran down her bare chest onto the sheets. She waited for the door to open, but he never came back. He didn't love her.


	16. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Part 1:

The stupid little ginger girl thought she could take on Bellatrix Lestrange. Please. Bellatrix Lestrange was invincible. She was invincible and unstoppable. She'd survived so much for Tom, or as he now was called, The Dark Lord. She'd killed so many for him, hoping he'd love her again. Like he used to. Then she could back to him and leave Rodolphus. The only reason she was even with Rodolphus was because Bellatrix thought that maybe Tom would get jealous and want her back. But she's still waiting. And she might as well do away with a few blood-traitors while she did.

Bellatrix sent a curse sailing close to the ginger's head and her mum came storming out of nowhere, yelling, "Not my daughter, you BITCH!" Bella just rolled her eyes and took a defensive position.

The curses flew back and forth and finally, when Bellatrix took the time to laugh, one hit her. It hit her with such force that her mind snapped back into sanity. No, it wasn't right. It wasn't worth it. Tom Riddle was a stupid half-blood and dying for his affection wasn't worth it. She just wished she had figured that out sooner.

Part 2:

Harry Potter left her house by use of a port-key hairbrush. He'd mistaken her for Bella. Andromeda Tonks felt sad. She missed her sisters and she had hoped that their prejudice would die due to their love of their sister, but it never did. Ted came over and hugged his wife. She loved him more than anything and being disowned was worth it. Most days. Some days she dearly missed the letters from her sisters, and the times that they'd had, staying up late and giggling. Andromeda wished that her sisters would wake up and let it go, but it became obvious to her that they wouldn't, when she'd gotten word that they were both convicted Death Eaters. But they were both free now, but for much longer, Andromeda didn't know. All she knew was that she had a family to protect, and she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Even from her own sisters.

Part 3:

The Potter boy was laying, crumpled on the ground, and The Dark Lord was standing back up. He bid Narcissa Malfoy to go and check to see if the boy lived, so she tentatively stepped forward towards him. When Narcissa bent down over the teenage boy and started to check his vitals, she realized that he was still alive. This was it, her chance to make it up to Lily. But to lie to Voldemort could be disastrous. Narcissa didn't care. She'd made a promise to Lily a long time ago and this was her chance to keep it.

She leaned over the boy and whispered, "Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?" Then she mentally crossed her fingers. Narcissa wanted nothing more than for her only son to be alive and OK. Harry nodded slowly and Narcissa stood, "Dead." She announced.

The Dark Lord was pleased and he made the half-giant carry the still-living hero up to the castle. Narcissa was devising a plan in her head. Find Draco, make sure he's OK, and then get the hell out of there. The procession was slightly happier than normal, especially at eh front where Bella was skipping around like a nutter. Narcissa wasn't really sure why her sister had suddenly gone bonkers, but she still loved Bella, so she just accepted it and went on with life. The battle-stricken defenders of Hogwarts gathered in the courtyard and tears were shed when they found out the Boy-Who-Lived had died.

Narcissa was frantically scanning the crowd, until she spotted her son. He was perfectly fine and Narcissa blew a sigh of relief. Phases one and two were complete, now she just had to get him to come to her and they could leave, "Anyone wish to join us?" The Dark Lord asked.

Narcissa took her opportunity, "Draco!" She hissed and Lucius joined in. They urged him to come until he stepped forward and out of the crowd of revolutionaries towards his parents.

"Well done, Draco." Voldemort said and he pulled Draco into a hug.

Narcissa winced. She didn't want that man touching her son. But Draco was soon by her side and she whispered to him, "As soon as the battle breaks out again, we're leaving, no arguments."

Draco just nodded and they turned back to face forward. The boy called Neville made a long speech that Narcissa wasn't paying attention too, but it ultimately ended with Potter springing into action and all hell breaking loose. In all the confusion, Narcissa grabbed Draco's hand and they walked away from the fight. Lucius followed, understanding why she'd suddenly given up. It wasn't worth all the destruction, the deaths, and the eminent defeat. It just wasn't worth it.


End file.
